An Interview with Julia Ellen Lancaster

In this interview, artist Julia Ellen Lancaster discusses her creative practice, her residency at the Powell-Cotton Trust and the development of the ‘Sound & Clay’ project.

She reflects on working with local communities, using touch and sound as creative tools, and the confidence, curiosity and connection that emerged through the project.

Can you tell us a little about yourself and your creative practice?
Working with communities has always been a significant part of my practice throughout my career as an artist. In my own sculptural work, I primarily use reclaimed clay and glazes to create pieces that reflect my interest in nature, people and the world around us. I use a form of assemblage that draws on historical genres while also embracing intuition as a form of knowledge and discovery. This approach extends into my community work, where collaboration, conversation and shared experience become part of the creative process, allowing ideas and materials to evolve collectively and creating opportunities for people to engage with clay in unexpected and meaningful ways.

How did the idea for this ceramics project develop?
Having worked as Artist in Residence for a year at Powell Cotton, being based in the beautiful garden for the whole of 2024, it really sealed my relationship with Quex House & Gardens and has been a continuing source of inspiration. I was lucky enough to then link up with Rosie Carr, Community Engagement Officer, who works with sound. We ran a number of workshops that were based on ideas around sound and clay which included the community members recording sounds within the garden, which we then listened to in the studio.

The sculptures were created entirely by hand inside a closed box, without participants being able to see what they were making. What inspired this approach?
Responding to the recorded sounds directly, we modelled soft clay, without being able to see the clay. This encouraged us to respond to the sounds in a way that was purely about touch and how the sounds made us feel.

What did you hope participants would experience or think about through the process?
Developing on the skills that participants had developed in previous workshops around listening and interpreting the amplified sounds of nature and learning how to work with clay, encouraged us to think about how we use our hands and how creative ideas can be expressed and translated through haptic skills.

Were there any memorable moments or surprises that emerged during the workshops?
I guess just that everyone wanted to carry on making more sculptures at the end of the workshop.

How did participants respond to working without sight and relying on touch and intuition?
I think because we had developed a good level of trust accumulated over the weekly workshops, participants were incredibly willing to have a go with new ideas and their confidence soured! There were some humorous moments when we looked at the weird and wonderful sculptures that had been produced. Everyone felt very proud of their achievements.

What do you hope visitors take away from the sculptures when they see them in the Winter garden?
I hope that visitors might think about how you don’t necessarily need to understand or identify something to be able to appreciate it. Maybe they’ll have a go at something similar themselves and be surprised by their own creative abilities!